Automatically-reversible mechanical toy



w. H. HUTH. AUTOMATICALLY REVERSIBLE MECHANICAL TOY- APPLICATION FILED APR. 12, I919. RENEWED JAN-29,1921- 1,386,258, Patented Aug. 2,' 1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

W. H. HUTH. AUTOMATICALLY REVERSIBLE MECHANICAL TOY- APPLICATION' FILED APR. 12, 1919- RENEWED JAN- 29; I921. 1,3 ,25 Patented Aug. 2,1921

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2- w. H. HUTH. AUTOMATICALLY REVERSIBLE MECHANICAL TOY.

APPLICATION FILED APR- 12. 1919. RENEWED JAN-29,1921.

1,386,258, Patented Aug. 2, 1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3- g WMIZII 7////////////A VZWZEW UNI D-sures PATENT" OFFICE-.1

WALTER H. IUTH, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

. AUTOMATICALLY-REVERSIBLE MECHANICAL TOY.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Aug. 2, 1921 a ncafibn med Aprii 12 1919, Serial No. 289,633. Renewed January 29, 1921. Serial no. 441,072.

To all whomct may concern: 7

Be it known that I, WALTER HQHUTH, a

citizen of the United States of America,

and a resident of Chicago, Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvementin Automatically-Reversible Mechanical Toys, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to mechanical toys mobiles or locomotives or boats, or any other similar mechanical toys in which spring motors or other means are employed for propelling the toy along the floor.

Generally stated, the object of the invention is to provide mechanism for automatically reversing the direction oftravel of the toy as soon as it encounters an obstruction, or as soon as its motion is retarded, as

by an incline or steep grade, so that the toy may travel back and forth automatically or of its own accord. V

It is also an object to provide certain details and features of construction and combinations tending to increase the general efiiciency and the desirability of an auto-.

matically reversible mechanical toy of this particular character.

To the foregoing and other useful ends the invention consistsin matters hereinafter set forth and claimed. 7

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation of a toy ferry boat embodying the principles of themvention.

Fig. 2 is a plan of said boat. I

Fig. 3 is anenlarged side elevation of the motor and traction device by which the boat is propelled on the floor, showingcertain portions of said device in section, the section being taken on line 3--3 in. Fig. .61: Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section of the motor showing the gearing thereof, being a section on line 4-1-4: in Fig. 6.

Fig.5 is a detail sectionalviewshowing thegearing of the traction device, being a section on line 5-5 in Fig. 6.

Fig. 6 is a plan of said motor and traction device. 7

1 which is constructed in the the toy may have any suitable or desired 8 vshapeor form orappearancethat travel on the floor, such as toy auto- 4: which is driven by the spring, in the usual .or any desired manner. A main driving shaft 5 is mounted in suitable bearingsand provided with a loosepinion 6 which is rotatedby suitable connection with said gear wheel {1, thereby to drive the mechanism at the desired speed. .The arm 7 is keyed to saidshaft and is provided with a short shaft 8 upon which are fixed the gear wheel 9 and the pinion 10, said gear wheel engaging the pinion 6 previously mentioned. A cam 11 is rotatably mounted on said shaft and supported in a bearing formed in the wall l2of the motor frame. This cam is rigidly connected with the gear wheel 13 which engages the pinion 10 previously mentioned. The cam lever liengages said cam and is pivoted below at 15, so that this lever is free to be moved or swung back and forth by said cam. V

The traction device comprises a pair of wheels 16 mounted on axles 17 which are supported in the tilting frame 18, the latter being mounted to tilt on the shaft 5 pre viously mentioned. Said wheels have their axles provided with pinions 19,'and one of said pinions engages an idler pinion 20 on the frame, The gear wheel 21 is keyed to the shaft 5, and engages the pinions 19 and 20, whereby thetwo wheels 16 are rotated in opposite directions. The upper. end of the frame 18 is provided with a pivot 22 upon'which is mounted a rod 23 that extends through a guide 24 on the upper end of the cam lever 14-, and a compression spring 25 is interposed between this guide and the shoulder 26 on the pivoted endof the rod.

the toy in one'direction; While the shaft is rotating, the pinion travels around the which wheel is on the floor.

gear wheel 13, the latterbeing held stationary because the cam 11 is held against rota 7 tion by its engagement with the cam lever v a h 14:, said spring 20 exerting its tens on in thereof, so that the latter is retarded-or held stationary With the shaft 5 stationaryythe spring motor will continue to rotatethe pinion 10, but with the result that the gear wheel 13 will be rotated,thus rotatingthe feam 11 to shift; the "lever 14c in a direction to eompressthespring 25, bringing the rod 23 to the other side of the center oraxi's provided by the pivot 22, so that theframe 18 is suddenly tllted in theopposite direction, thereby bringing the other wheel 16 "into engagement with the-floor. This, of course, causes the'toy to instantly begintr'aveling in the opposite direction.

Thus it will be seen that the traction device comprises two wheels 16 mounted on the tilting frame,and that the tilting of this frame,

to reverse the direction of travel, is controlled automatically by the thrust or reaction of the wheel which engagesthe floor. If an obstructlon is encountered, or an incline,

so that the wheel stops, the cam 11 will then immediately 'rotate, inasmuch as the friction of thewheellG' on the floor is greater than the friction engagement of thelever 14: with the cam 11, and the result is that the latter will rotate to automatically tilt the traction device and thereby reverse the direction of travel. In other words,

an overloadfso' to speak, on the motor of the toy, brought about in the manner stated, "so that the progress of the toy is retarded,

will automatically cause a reversal of the traction device. The two wheels 16 rotate constantly in opposite directions, while the toy is traveling in either direction. The frame 18, however, tilts sufficiently in either direction to raise one wheel'from the floor, sothat thedirection of travel depends upon In this way, as soon as the motor feels an over-load of any'kind, due to any causewhatsoever, the power of the motor itself automatically reverses the traction device.

Thus any stoppage of the toy whatsoever, as by engagement of any portion thereof with anobstruction, so that the'toy is "stopped, will automatically operate the mov toy. vIn this'way, engagement of any portion whatsoever of the toy with some obstruction, as by causing either end thereof to run into the wall, will automatically reverse the propelling means, and thereby reverse the direction of travel, so that movable parts 7 t a carried, for example, at opposite ends of the Opposite directions to hold one" wheel 16 on" the floor and to push the lever 1a in the; other direction against the'eam. However, when the toy is stopped, by an obstruction, "or when it attempts to climb a hill or steep ,grade, the retardation thus encountered serves in effect to impose an additional load on the traction device, and on the: shaft 5 toy, forengagement with-Jan obstruction,

are unnecessary and are not employed.

I lVhat I claim as my invention is 1;. In a mechanical toy, a motor driven itself and controlled by the retardation of sald dev ce to automatically' 'cause a reversal of the direction-0f travel when anover-load specified in claim 1, said" device comprislng a pair of wheels driven'inopposite directraction device to propel the toy along the. floor, and mechanism operated by-the motor tions, and said mechanism comprising means to hft'either wheel from the floor and de press the otherwheelinto-engagement with the floor. i

'3. An automatically reversible toy as specifiedin claim 1, said device comprising a pair of traction wheels driven in opposite directions, a pivoted frame on which said wheels are mounted, a spring to yieldingly :hold saldlframe' in position to'hold either wheel on the floor, and'a shaft forming the plvot for the frame and geared to drive said wheels, so that either wheel when on the floor formsa load on said shaft; and said mechanism comprising a cam, gearing to rotate said cam-,a pivoted lever engaging said cam and connected to shift said spring and thereby shift said pivoted frame, and'means whereby said gearing rotates said shaft when the cam is held against rotation by said lever; said. spring being-of suflicient strength to hold said lever in position to prevent rotation of said cam, thereby causing rotation of said shaft, but said spring being adapted to yield and permit shifting of thelever by creased by either wheel.

4. An automatically reversible toy asspe cified in claim 1, said devicecomprising a wheel for driving the toy in onerdirection,

and-another wheel for driving the toy in the opposite direction.

5. In a motor driven mechanical toy, a

wheel for drivingthe toy in" one direction, a wheel for driving the toy in the opposite direction, and mechanism operated by "the the cam when the load on said shaft is inif any portion whatsoever of the toy strikes 10 an obstruction which stops the toy, the direction of travel will thereby beireversed.

8. A structure as specified in claim 7 said mechanism comprising a movable shifter which operates the minute the toy is stopped [5 by anything whatsoever.

WALTER H. HUTH. 

